Feds: 174 of 198 Scarborough per diem vouchers were bogus

Democratic Assemblyman William Scarborough bilked taxpayers out of an estimated $40,000 over a four-year period by submitting 174 allegedly fraudulent per diems out of 198 submitted between January 2009 and December 2012, according to a federal indictment filed Sept. 26 by the office of U.S. Attorney for the Northern District Richard Hartunian.

The indictment charges the lawmaker with filing vouchers “for full per diem, partial per diem, and mileage and tolls when, as he knew, those vouchers were false in whole and in part because he submitted such certified vouchers when he (a) had not been in Albany at all; (b) had been in Albany for less time than he claimed on a voucher; and (c) had not stayed overnight as he had claimed.”

The indictment charges four counts of Theft Concerning a Program Receiving Federal Funds — one count per year of the period in question, the program being New York State government — and seven counts of wire fraud. Scarborough is expected to appear in federal court in Albany this afternoon. If convicted of a felony, he would immediately lose his seat.

Scarborough appearedin state Supreme Court on Wednesday morning to plead not guilty to separate charges that he violated campaign finance laws.